Living Business Home Natural Resources   Energy Paper Water Waste Managing materials Environmental   Noise pollution Air pollution Workplace   Workplace safety Green purchasing Living Business Seminars   Waste management The 4Rs of waste minimisation The four principles of waste reduction are reduce, reuse, recycle and replace. Click on each link to find out how small changes can make a big difference to your waste bill.   Reduce   • Reduce the amount of paper you use by double-sided photocopying, printing and using electronic communication   • Choose products for which refills are available   • Improve your process control to avoid rejected products   • Buy bulk-packed materials to reduce packaging waste   • Adopt stock management to minimise the generation of expired products / consumables   • Handle and store materials carefully to reduce breakages and spills   Reuse   • Provide separate bins for collecting used packaging, cord binding, envelopes and other materials that can be reused   • Use re-usable cutlery, dishes, cups and coffee filters (eg avoid using paper cups)   • Reuse packaging materials (eg boxes, plastic bags)   • Ask suppliers to take back packaging materials for reuse   • Reuse equipment parts and fixtures and repair furniture to reduce waste   Recycle   • Set up a recycling scheme in the office for scrap paper, toner cartridges, plastic bottles, aluminium cans, etc   • Donate old computers, electronic appliances, and furniture to charities   • Separate scrap metal, wood and plastic from industrial waste for recycling   Replace   • Use water-based paints instead of solvent-based paints   • Use durable items instead of one-off disposable items (eg replace paper cups with mugs/glasses)   • Replace paper towels with hand-dryers or cloth towels   • Choose environmentally friendly alternatives if available, such as biodegradable cleaners and garbage bags, also use less toxic chemicals   • Rent instead of buying equipment like copiers and computers to minimise unnecessary waste when systems need to be upgraded Back to Waste